At 1120 Westchester Place in Los Angeles sits a mansion that looks straight out of a movie. That’s because it is. The Rosenheim Mansion, built in 1908, became famous as the creepy setting for American Horror Story: Murder House.
But behind the cameras and the fame, this real home has its own horror story.
The mansion was designed by Alfred Rosenheim, a well-known architect of the early 1900s. With its dark wood halls, stained glass, and old-world charm, it was once a dream home. When American Horror Story used it as a filming location, the house became one of the most recognizable homes in Hollywood. Fans called it the “Murder House.”
In 2015, a couple bought it for $3.2 million. They thought they were buying a historic treasure. Instead, they found out they had bought a tourist hotspot. Fans of the show came from all over the world to take photos, peek through windows, and even try to sneak inside. Some came in the middle of the night.
The owners said they couldn’t live in peace. So, they sued the sellers for not telling them the full story. They claimed that the sellers never warned them how many people would show up uninvited just because the house was famous.
That lawsuit turned into a big lesson for the real estate world.
In California, sellers must tell buyers about any problems that could affect how they live in the home. Usually that means roof leaks, plumbing issues, or noisy neighbors. But what about fame? What about fans who treat your home like a landmark?
More than a century after it was built, the Rosenheim Mansion still draws fans and tourists. Its story is a mix of Hollywood magic, real-life stress, and one clear truth: every home has a history, and some histories refuse to stay quiet.
Lesson: Before you buy your dream home, make sure you know its story. Some homes are grand. Some are historic. And some, like the American Horror Story house, never stop being haunted—by fame.
